Dear Sarah, Here are a few tricks to try, being careful not to get too close to your eyes. Put a little Vaseline or glycerin or olive oil or rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball. Carefully wipe around your eyes until the black disappears.

Dear Reena, I collect coins and spoons, and over the years they have tarnished. What is an easy way to clean them without damaging them? — Maurice

Dear Maurice, Just like the Statue of Liberty, pennies will turn green with too much exposure to oxygen. Here are a few techniques that will add shine to your coins: Into a cup or a bowl, pour in half cup lemon juice or white vinegar. Add 2 tsp. salt. Drop the coins into the mixture. Wait five minutes and polish. The drawback to this technique is that the coins may turn green if not dried well, and the sparkle is short lived. Brasso is a less risky option for cleaning coins. The least risky option is to use a rubber eraser to polish coins; however, this is quite a tedious process. After cleaning the coins, some people apply Turtle Wax to reduce tarnish, but take caution as this may look great, but lower the value of the coins. For silver spoons, place crumpled aluminum foil in a pan or plastic container. Dissolve one-quarter cup washing soda or salt in enough hot water to cover the spoons. Place spoons on foil and let stand for five minutes, rinse and polish dry with a soft cloth.

Dear Reena, Does baking powder or baking soda make food crispy? — Selena

Dear Selena, Baking powder is a leavening agent which is made by combining baking soda, cream of tartar and cornstarch. Baking powder creates little bubbles when combined with oil dries the skin out leaving it crispy and crunchy. Baking soda can also be used to make foods crispy. For the best results, activate baking soda by combining it with food acid such as vinegar or lemon juice.

Dear Reena, I made homemade perogies and froze them in a sealable plastic bag. When I took them out of the freezer, they were one giant frozen perogy. Can I save them? — Destiny

Dear Destiny, Next time spread the delicious perogies onto a baking sheet and freeze them. When they are frozen, drop them into a sealable bag or container. No need to defrost perogies, cook them from frozen.

Dear Reena, How can I unstick a zipper on my new nylon fitness jacket? — Anonymous

Dear You, Rub the zipper with one of the following: pencil lead, a bar of soap or wax. Some say WD-40 is the answer, but who wants to walk around smelling like WD-40?

Apple Butter Tip

I had several leftover apples this year and decided to make Apple Butter for my toast. It turned out so well that I really must share the recipe. Make it in a slow cooker and the entire house smells amazing! Peel, core and chop five and a half pounds of apples. Place the apples in your slow cooker. Into a separate bowl combine: four cups white sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, half tsp. ground cloves and half tsp. salt. Mix contents with apples. Cook on HIGH for one hour. Reduce heat to LOW and cook for 10 hours or until mixture is dark brown and thick (stir occasionally). Uncover and cook for one more hour. Pour into sterile jars and store in fridge or freezer. Yum!

Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.

Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.

-Reena Nerbas